Procrastinating Senior Assignment (PSA)

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Baldwin Park High School have their seniors do a senior project in order to graduate. There are three academies: S.T.E.A.M., Vital, and Impact.

The STEAM academy seniors have to do a PSA for their senior project. The PSA video has to be between 60 and 70 seconds.

Kaylee Sic stated that time is a good amount, “I feel as though the PSA is good way to get a students’ message on their issue.” Furthermore, Sic did not have much trouble doing the PSA; however, she thought others struggled, “The whole process was quite simple for me, but I don’t think that was the case for everyone. I saw other students having difficulties coming up with ideas or simply putting the whole thing together.”

Richard Perez has a different view on his PSA. “I think the PSA is a waste of time, there’s no need for us to do it.” Perez seemed to not be happy about his topic-if college is worth it’s cost.

STEAM teachers see the PSA as a positive because it allows students to use their technology. Gail Casburn teaches computer programming and loves the PSA. “I think it’s a great thing. I think people need to get out there and communicate with modern technology in various forms, so I think it’s good exposure for college.

The PSA seems difficult as students describe how they struggled throughout the process. Samantha Ma stated, “I think the STEAM Academy’s artifact was the hardest. Mine was about the effects of advertising.” Ma went on to describe what the PSA needed in the video, “The PSA was supposed to have either your voice or you actually in it and it was kinda like a commercial and you had to put a slogan at the end.”

Students who are not in STEAM have their own opinions about the PSA. Samantha Sanchez, a member of Vital, stated, “I’m not doing the PSA but I think it’s really unnecessary and kinda just extra work that teachers give to the students when they could just do something simpler for their senior project.” In addition, Sanchez continued to say how the senior research paper is already a lot of work for students. The senior project is already a tough assignment that all students have to deal with and a PSA just seems really pointless.”

Mariel Pacada was scared by the task at first, but after finishing it she thought it was a piece of cake. “I was intimidated by the task of making a PSA at first. Once I started it, though, it was actually pretty easy.” Pacada continued to discuss how her PSA is about her novel. “Since I’m in AP Lit, I made my PSA to convince people to read this novel called The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. I basically talk about how the book teaches you to love despite social expectations.”